Workers' comp not helping enough, says injured woman

A St. Lawrence woman injured on the job is frustrated with the workers' compensation program, saying it doesn't realize the difficult situation she's been left in after an accident.

Colleen Hodge said she's been waiting four years to receive help to cope with her workplace injury, but hasn't been getting a response.

"You never, ever [stop] to think that just one little thing can take everything away from you," said Hodge.

Hodge was left with a herniated disc in a workplace accident, leading to surgery, which she claims was botched.

She is now wheelchair bound with poor eyesight, and has trouble doing simple tasks in her home.

Calls go unanswered

According to Hodge, she's been trying to get in touch with someone at the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission about making changes to her home that would make her life easier, but with no luck.

Colleen Hodge says without a personal care worker, most of the work of helping her in every day tasks falls to her daughter, who has two young children, or her sister (CBC)

"I would like for them to return a call, number one. I've called my worker many times on the phone and I never got no answer back," she said.

Hodge wants renovations to her house to make it wheelchair accessible, a stair lift so she can sleep in her bedroom again, and to get her driveway paved so she can get out of the house in her wheelchair

She added most of the work of helping her with every-day tasks falls to her daughter, who has two young children, or her sister. She said she needs a personal careworker instead, but her calls go unanswered.

"It makes me feel like they just don't care — they don't care," said Hodge. "It's a hard thing to say, but I wishes, and I wishes really hard, that they could walk in my shoes."

A representative with the Workplace Compensation Commission told CBC News the department can't comment on specific cases, but a client can speak to a manager if they're unhappy with the response they're receiving in their case.